Zinc has two valence electrons. These are the electrons that are located in the outermost shell of the zinc atom, which is crucial for determining how zinc interacts with other elements.
To understand this, we need to look at zinc’s position in the periodic table. Zinc is found in Group 12 and has an atomic number of 30. Its electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s². The two electrons in the 4s subshell are the valence electrons, which participate in chemical bonding.
In summary, the presence of two valence electrons allows zinc to form various compounds, and knowing the number of valence electrons helps us understand its chemical behavior.